Kneading, grinding and mixing machine



Oct. 3l, 1933. l.. ElRlcH ET AL KNEADING, GRINDING, AND MIXING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 3l, 1933.l L. ElRlcH Er AL 1,933,473

KNEADING, GRINDING, AND MIXING MACHINE Filed May 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fil @Mmm

Patented Oct. 31, 1933` 1,933,473 u .KNEAD1NG.GRIND1NG AND` MIXING f MACHINEl l Ludwig Eirich and Joseph Eirich, Hardheim, f

Baden, Germany Application .'May'v23, 1932, Serial No. 613,100, and

' in.k Germany June 20, 1931 The invention l.relates toymachines for ykneading, grinding and mixing materials.` of various kinds, including clay, concreteta1- and'bitumen, colours, sand, artificial fertilizers and soon, with or Without liquid, and the invention isconcerned with machines of the kind in which arotary pan is used, having a central discharge aperture, with rotary appliances for the kneading, grinding or mixing operations supported above the floor o1 the pan around Lthe centralaperture, and with a stationary dam extending. across the pan from the central apertureto the of the pan.

According to our invention the central aperture has around itv allow wall, and adjoining` thetop of this wall there is a hollow, stationary cyline der, having at one part of its circumference an opening for passage of material from the-'pannto the. discharge aperture, and drivingmeclianism is provided, enabling the-speed'of.` rotation'of 'the pan to be varied, without Varying the speed at whichV ,the kneading, grinding or mixing applid ances are driven. Regulation of the speed 'of the pan regulates the period during which the ma-v terial is retained in the pan while being carried from one side of the dam to the other side', where it can pass out through the opening in the eentral cylinder. The periodiof treatment can thus be regulated to suit the requirements of the material being treated, but the speed of the knead- K ing, grinding and mixing appliances is not afslovzd down when the treatment is to be protracted, and are not speeded up whenthe treatment is tobe short. V-

The direction of rotation of the kneading, grinding or mixing appliances about their axes may be the same as that of the pan about its axis, or they may rotate in the opposite direction. In the latter case they have a more ener-` getic agitating effect, as their outer portions beat or run against the vmaterial which is beingr swept around by the pan.

A shutter or cover may be yprovided for the opening in the central cylinder, so that the material can be caused to make two or more `circuits v. with the pan, before the shutter is removed andv discharge takes place. The dam `may for this purpose be lifted, to allow the material to pass.

under it, or a low dam may be used, over which the material can pass. k

An example of apparatus according to the invention is shown in the annexed drawings, in which l Fig. 1 is an elevation thereof, partly in section,

fected bythis regulation, so that they are not,

with ythe mixing and kneading appliances removed.

Fig.`2'is a plan View of the machine, partly in section, 1 l y Fig. 3 a plan' view of the pan Withf the m1x1ng and kneading appliances therein, and.

Fig. 4 a `vertical section of par-t of the machine to 'alarger scale. l

. Four rollers 1 supportthe rotatable, circular lpan 2, which has'a central discharge aperture 3 surrounded by la'low wall .4. Above thefloor of the panthere are three pairs of edgerunners 5, for kneading or grinding, and there isv also a fourf armed mixer 11'., vA` star-,shaped member 6of the frame, `supported above the. pan by pllarsl5;

has a spindle 7; mounted therein,and a holder-5 for the pan is connected to this-spindle by a spi. der 9;'` Theholder 8 iits into the central aper ture of the pan, and has a flange on whichthe pan rests.- The'arms of thespider 9 are'vcurved upwards from the holder '8, and allow plentyofv 4space forpassage of the material.

A stationary, hollow cylinder 13 fixed *toy the frame member 6` extends downwards into the pan, its bottom rim overlapping the top edge ofA the wall 4except where the cylinder has an aperture 14 for the passage of material from the pan to the discharge aperture 3, as indicated by anv arrow in Fig. 4, where the material is pushed over the wall 4 by the action of the kneaders` and mixer. sliding shutter or door.

Close to the mixer 11' a stationary dam 10 supported above the iloor of the pan extends from one side edge of the aperture 14 to near the outer wall, the dam 10 being curved round part of the field of the mixer. The dam 10 is vertically adjustable, so that if desired a gap vcarl be made between it and the floor, for passage of the material being treated. v The material to be treated is fed into the pa at 12 (Fig. 3), close to the dam, on the side where the iioor of the pan is moving away from The aperture 14 can be closed by a the dam, so that the material is carried round the l central cylinder 13, past the kneaders 5, till it reaches the aperture 14 facing the mixer 11 and i passes out throughA this aperture, unless the same is closed and the darn is sufficiently raised to allowv the material to pass on, for another circuit. Instead of raising the dam, to allow material to pass under it if desired, arrangements' may be made for changing the dam, by substituting a 10W one over which the material can pass. 1t will be seen that when the aperture 14 is open the period during which the material is treated in the pan can be regulated by regulating the speed of rotation of the pan. With the aperture open the operation can proceed continuously, that is to say with continuous feed of the material to be treated. f

Thekneaders and mixers are driven by gear wheels 17 meshing with a central gear wheel 18, the latter being driven by bevel gears 19, 19 and a driving shaft with a pulley 20. Upon the shaft of one of the gear wheels 17 there is a step pulley 2l connected by a belt to a step pulley 21 driving a pinion meshing with a gear wheel 23 on a shaft 25, and a pinion 26 on this shaft meshes with a ring of teeth at the rim of the pan, for rotating the pan. The speed of rotation of the pan can accordingly be varied by shifting the belt, without varying the speed of the Vkneaders and mixer.

Instead of the star-shaped member 6 therev may be a hood` over the pan, with the driving gear mounted therein.

In some cases it may be desirable to knead and mix the material first in a dry state andrthen with an addition of liquid. Generally it is of advantage to use two machines `in= such cases, one being a dry mixer and the other a wet mixer, and the dry mixer may be mounted above the wet mixer, with a hopper or pipe delivering the material which' it discharges to the'wet mixer..

We claim: l

A1. yA linea-ding, -grinding'or mixing machine, comprising'a pan, said pan having a central circular discharge aperture in the bottom thereof, andv an integral upwardly extending annular flange about said opening, means for rotating Said pan, a stationary support having-a portion thereof Adisposed above said pan, kneading, grinding, and mixing elements supported by said portionand extending into the pan,'means for rotating said elements, a stationary hollow cylinder depending from said portion and above said aperture, the lower edge of said cylinder surrounding said annular ange, said cylinder having an opening in its circumference near the bottom, y

and means for closing said opening when desired. 2. A kneading, grinding or mixing machine, comprising a pan, said pan having a central circular discharge aperture'in the bottomthereof,

and an integral upwardly extending annular flange about said opening, means for rotating said ments supported by said portion and extending into the pan, means for rotating said elements, a stationary hollow cylinder depending from said portion and above said aperture, the lower edge of saidcylinder surrounding said annular flange, said cylinder having an opening in its circumference near the bottom, and means for closing said openingl when desired.

3. Agkneading, grinding or mixing machine, comprising a pan, said pan having a central circular discharge aperture in the bottom thereof, and an integral `upwardly extending annular flange about said opening, means for rotating said pan, a stationary dam extending across the pan from the aperture to the outer rim, a stationary support having a portion thereof disposed above said pan, kneading, grinding, or mixing elements supported by said portion and extendinginto the pan, means forrotating said elements, said means being adjustable to vary 'the speed of rotation, a stationary hollow cylinder depending from said portion and above said aperture, the lower edge of said cylinder surrounding saidannular flange, said cylinder having an opening in its circumference nearthe bottom, and means for closing saidopening when desired. Y LUDIG EIRICH.

JOSEPH EIRCl-I.' 

